Gymastics Is International Language At Stabler Meet

Romanian, Cuban and Chinese athletes - to name but a few - assure one another and fumbling journalists that they speak a universal language of gymnastics.

But independent and team interpreters needed to ask and re-ask questions of Summer Olympic hopefuls yesterday about culture shock and the politics behind competitions. And sometimes, there was just no getting through.

For many arriving in the Lehigh Valley yesterday, it was a first visit to the United States. But some of the more than 150 gymnasts and several U.S. Gymnastics Federation (USGF) and FIG (Federation International de Gymnastics) officials offered little more than a look at back flips and splits on the balance beam.

A charade of hand motions expressed the thoughts behind the toned muscles of future medalists from 20 countries.

While some attested to only seeing American hotels and gyms while competing abroad, a Chinese gymnast said the Lehigh Valley was a second home to him.

Li Ning, winner of three gold medals at the Los Angeles Summer Games in 1984, is on his second trip to Allentown, and said the Parkettes gym is as familiar as China.

"When I come here to the Parkettes gym, it seems as if I've come back to my own gym at home."

For Ning, the cultural shock comes in many forms - time differences, and food and environment adjustments.

"Because your fellow countrymen have the same culture, the same costumes, the same style of living it's not so different to compete at home," Ning said through an interpreter. "At international meets where it's a different culture, it's entirely different.

"I never have Western food at home," Ning added chewing a salad. "But when you feel hungry anything will do."

At last night's cocktail party in the Ray E. Holland Automotive Art Collection museum on 4th and Linden streets, athlete Adam Cooper of Allentown said rubbing elbows with athletes who may compete in Seoul, Korea, this September leaves him with a taste of international flavor.

"But people are people no matter where you go," Cooper added.

Helmut Gerschan, a coach for East Germany, said in his country athletes are less materialistic because the government pays for every aspect of their sport including training and air fare.

"Coaches and athletes never think about money," said Gerschan. "We do the training and leave money matters to other people."

The advantages to competing internationally, Gerschan said is learning the finer points in other athletes' moves.

"There are no secrets in gymnastics," Gerschan said.

Political secrets, coaches and athletes contend, are also kept out of pre-Olympic and Olympic games.

"We talk about the gymnastic family," said Romanian coach Octavian Bellu. "The competition is only in the hall. Outside the gym coaches are good friends."

American coach Francis Allen agreed, with the exception of judging, that no political strings are attached to the interaction between contenders.

The athletes will compete in Mixed Pairs tonight at Lehigh University's Stabler Arena at 7 p.m. A few tickets, priced at $9 for adults and $5 for children under 12, are still available at the Parkette National Training Center in Allentown and at the Stabler box office.